The Tale of Draco Malfoy: Book One
by Baylee Shadow
Summary: What if Draco Malfoy had a friend throughout his years at Hogwarts? And what would those years entail? Better than it sounds! Please R&R! Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: A Secret Revealed

**Hello everyone! This isn't my first story for anyone who's a Doctor Who fan but it is the first on this profile. I hope you like it and please, please review!  
>Just a WARNING I will be using scenes from both the books and the movies! So if you haven't seen or read both then most of this won't make sense! <strong>

(30th August 1991)

Draco Malfoy heard his father's strict voice calling him downstairs. He sighed, dreading what was to come. He dragged his feet down the stairs and walked into the Parlour. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was standing in front fireplace, examining the row of trophies upon the mantelpiece. "You see this Draco?" his father began, "Our family had achieved many things in our world, Head Boys and Girls, Prefects, Special Services to the School, Quidditch Champions, Duelling Champions. Do you know why our family has done so well?"  
>"No father." Draco muttered, just as he had been taught.<br>"We have done so well" his father continued as though Draco hadn't spoken, "because we have pure-blood. Our Wizarding ancestry stretches back further than we can remember. But there are some whose blood is tainted, some who have dirty blood."  
>Draco sighed, looking at his feet and fidgeting where he stood,<br>"Listen to me!" his father growl, stepping forward and back-handed his son across the face. "You have to understand that you are not to consort with Mudbloods, Blood Traitors or Half-Bloods! They have tainted, dirty blood! Do. You. Understand?" Lucius Malfoy prodded Draco in the chest for each word, stepping closer and closer.  
>Draco nodded, fear obvious on his face. "Y-yes father." He whimpered.<br>Lucius Malfoy sneered "Make sure you don't forget!" he cuffed his son over the head as he strode out of the Parlour.  
>Draco waited for a few minutes, his eyes staring at the flickering flames, before skulking back up the stairs to his bedroom. He half smiled at the sight of his Eagle Owl, Hermes, sitting on his bedpost with a dead mouse in his beak. "Hullo Hermes" he murmured, stroking his feathers. Hermes hooted softly and looked at Draco with wide, sympathetic eyes. Draco half smiled again and absentmindedly fed Hermes a treat. "I'll be out of here soon Hermes and you're coming with me." Hermes hooted again and then Draco sighed, he quickly changed and climbed into bed. The last thing Draco heard was Hermes hooting softly before he fell asleep.<p>

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><p>(31st July 1991)<p>

Nephele Mithra opened her eyes to find her blankets tangled around her legs. She sighed, "Rough night…" she slowly rose and quickly got dressed. Nephele made her way out of her room, brushing her long, strawberry blonde hair. She met her dad, Tobias Mithra, at the top of the stairs, "Mornin' dad." She grinned,  
>"Morning Neph." Her dad replied, quickly hugging her. "Hungry?" he raised an eyebrow,<br>"Always." Neph laughed.  
>They walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Neph wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of apple juice. She grabbed a glass and a bowel, filled the glass with juice and tipped some cornflakes into the bowel. She added milk to her cereal and joined her dad at the table. Tobias sipped at his coffee, absently reading the morning paper. He glanced up as he heard the rattle and thump of post landing on the floor. "Get the post would you darling?" he returned his attention to the paper.<br>"Sure." Neph gulped the last mouthful of juice and slowly walked to the front hallway. She bent down and scooped up the pile of letters and wandered back into the kitchen. She rifled through the letters, handing them one at a time to her father before stopping short at the last letter. This one wasn't written on normal paper, it had a heavier feel to it and Neph recognised it as parchment. The address was handwritten in bright green ink and there was no stamp:

_Ms N. Mithra  
>West facing Bedroom<em>

_ 12 Whitmore Way_

_ Basildon  
><em>

"Da-ad?" Nephele's voice shook.  
>"What is it honey?" Tobias glanced up from the paper and stared in shock at Nephele's letter. "Th-that can't…" he sighed "I always knew that this time would come. Read it Neph."<br>Nephele slowly opened the letter and sat down as she read it:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
>Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)<em>

_Dear Ms Mithra,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_ Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. _

_Yours sincerely,_

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Nephele lowered the letter with shaking hands. "Explain!" she demanded.  
>Tobias lowered the paper slowly rubbed his temples. He sighed, "I guess I owe you that…" he cleared his throat. "Neph, I want you to understand that what I'm going to tell you is shocking but I beg you not to interrupt." Tobias waited for Neph to nod before continuing, "You know that your mother died when you were only one year old but that isn't the whole story. Your mother was murdered." He held up a hand to stop Neph with her mouth opened. "She was a witch." he gestured to the letter "They're real, not a joke. She was an amazing witch, your mum. She brought magic into my life." Nephele's father sighed "but it was her magic that got her killed. There was a Dark Wizard, who is not to be named!" He said at Nephele's curious face. "One of his supporters found out what your mum was doing for Dumbledore, whom You Know Who feared, and this 'Death Eater' hunted her down. She pushed me into your bedroom and charmed the door shut. I couldn't get out and you were crying. I comforted you as the spells resonated through the house. I heard your mother scream once then silence." A tear rolled down Tobias' face but his voice remained steady as he continued, "The man who had murdered your mother attempted to enter your bedroom but your mother's spell was too strong. He yelled at us for a few minutes before all I heard was silence. It was four hours until I worked up the courage to open the door. Luckily your mother's spell had worn off or it let me through but the house was empty. The only part of your mother that I found was her wand." Tobias had tears falling freely down his face.<br>"Wand?" Nephele asked before her dad could stop her. Tobias wiped his nose and stood up slowly. He walked over to the chest of drawers and opened the first drawer. He unlatched the base and pulled out something made of wood. Tobias walked back to Nephele and showed her the wand before replacing it in the draw.  
>"Is that why you distanced yourself from magic?" she asked after a pause.<br>"Yes" Tobias croaked, "but I knew that you would be like her." He sighed "Do you want to go to Hogwarts?"  
>Nephele didn't have to think about it "Yes."<p>

* * *

><p>Nephele and Tobias were on the Underground to London. They had found an owl waiting outside for her reply and Neph had quickly written her acceptance and tied it to the owl's leg.<br>"We're here." Her father's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. They left the Underground and soon they were in open air. They walked down street after street until they reached one that was ordinary except it had a pub called The Leaky Cauldron planted in the middle of the other shops.  
>"Is that it?" Neph asked.<br>"Yes." Her father nodded "but I'm not allowed in. I can't even see it. Muggles can't see it because it is the entrance to Diagon Alley. I'll be waiting in this café." He pointed across the street. "I'm sure there will be people who can help you if you need it. Now this is the key to your mother's vault in Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank. Remember what I told you about the money?"  
>Neph laughed "Yes dad … I'll be fine." Neph said at his worried expression. She hugged him quickly. "See you in a bit."<br>"Bye Neph!" her father turned around after waving and crossed the street. Nephele turned and strode into the Leaky Cauldron.

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	2. Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

**I apologise for the formatting as is limited. Hope you like it and PLEASE review!**

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the gloom but when they did she stared. There were quite a few people at the bar drinking and Neph craned her head to look around. There were stairs that she guessed lead to bedroom and a back door that she supposed lead to a courtyard. Nephele noticed the barman and walked over to him. "Excuse me?" she asked. The barman grunted. "I'm sorry but could you please tell me how to get into Diagon Alley?" the barman glanced at her again and Nephele felt out of place in her faded jeans, converse and t-shirt.  
>"Muggle-born are ya?"<br>"Raised by Muggles." Nephele corrected.  
>"Righty-o then, follow me." The barman walked out from behind the counter and headed towards the back door. Nephele followed him, ignoring the strange glances from a few of the folk in the bar. Outside was a small courtyard, ending in a brick wall. The barman was standing in front of this wall and had, what Nephele thought was his wand, out. He tapped the brick three up and two across from the dustbin. "Remember tha' brick girly." He growled. The bricks started to move out from the place that the barman had tapped. Soon Nephele could see Diagon Alley spread out before her. She thanked the barman and stepped through the archway formed by the bricks. As she turned back the bricks had formed the wall again. Nephele wandered down the street, whishing she had eyes all around her head as there was too much to look at. She took out her Hogwarts letter and unfolded the second piece of parchment:<p>

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

Uniform:

_First year students will require:_

_Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags._

Set Books

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Miranda Goshawk_

A History of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot_

Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling_

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch_

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore _

Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger_

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander_

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble_

Other Equipment

_ 1 wand_

_ 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_ 1 set glass or crystal phials_

_ 1 telescope_

_ 1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat Or a toad_

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE _

_NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

Nephele glanced around, her father had said that Gringotts wasn't hard to find and soon she caught site of a snowy white building towering above Diagon Alley. She walked past a shop selling broomsticks and smiled at a crowd of small boys staring wide-eyed at a 'Nimbus Two Thousand'. She walked up the stairs and passed what she assumed was a goblin. Nephele walked through the first set of doors and upon the second she read the words engraved upon them:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_ Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_ For those who take, but do not earn,_

_ Must pay most dearly in their turn,_

_ So if you seek beneath our floors_

_ A treasure that was never yours,_

_ Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_ Of finding more than treasure there._

"Well, that's a nice greeting." Nephele muttered before being bowed through the doors by a pair of goblins. She didn't really notice the goblins at work around her as she walked towards the counter, but she did notice the marble. The goblin raised an eyebrow, "I wish to withdraw money from my fault. Ms Mithra."

"Do you have the key, miss?" the goblin asked.  
>Nephele placed the key in front of the goblin and he examined it closely. "It seems to be in order. Griphook will take you to your vault, Griphook!" another goblin appeared and bowed. Nephele followed Griphook, after grabbing her key, out of one of the doors. Instead of more marble, Nephele found herself in a stone passageway lit with flaming torches. The passage sloped downwards steeply and Nephele notice the little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came speeding up the tracks towards them. Nephele climbed in and the cart hurtled forward. First the cart just flew through a maze of passages and Nephele didn't bother trying to remember the way. Griphook didn't appear to be steering but Nephele thought that it wouldn't work without him. Throughout the journey Nephele swore that she caught a glimpse of dragon fire but they were travelling too fast for her to get a good look. The passageway started to look more and more like a cave, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites growing from the floor. There were also columns where stalactites and stalagmites had melded together. The cart eventually stopped beside a small door in the passage wall. Nephele passed her key to Griphook's waiting hand and he unlocked the door. It swung open with a hiss and Nephele's mouth dropped open. Inside were piles of coins. Gold, silver and bronze scattered throughout the chamber. There was also a serpent carved into the back of the chamber, its eyes seemed to flicker in the firelight. Nephele pulled out her money bag that her father had bought her for her 11th birthday not that long ago. She started to fill the bag muttering to herself, "Seventeen silver Sickles to a gold Galleon, twenty-nine bronze Knuts to a Sickle." Once her bag was full Nephele walked out of the door and climbed back into the cart. The trip passed quickly as her mind was filled with all the things that she could buy.<p>

* * *

><p>After Nephele had thanked Griphook, leaving him looking very surprised, and walked out of Gringotts' doors she didn't know where to start. She spied <em>Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions<em> and made her way over. She glanced curiously at a very large man standing outside holding a pair of ice-creams, obviously waiting for someone. Nephele glanced in the window to catch a glance of a pale boy with pale blonde hair. He was talking to someone out of site and Nephele glanced away as the boy raised his eyes towards her. She approached the large man hesitantly. "Um…excuse me?" she asked.  
>The large man glanced down at her and beamed "How can I help yeh?"<br>"I don't really know where to get all my things for Hogwarts. Could you point me in the right direction?" Nephele stepped a bit closer to the man.  
>"Ah, Hogwarts girl…I'm Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." Hagrid grinned,<br>"My name's Nephele Mithra." Nephele said.  
>"Yeh don' 'appen to be the daugh'er of Matilda Nettles, later to be Matilda Mithra, do yeh?"<br>"She was my mother, yes." Nephele replied curtly.  
>"I'm sorry." The Gamekeeper apologised. He then went and told Neph all the shops in which she needed to go. Nephele thanked Hagrid and, deciding to get her robes later, wandered over to Flourish and Blots. She quickly bought her books and made her way back to <em>Madame Malkin's<em>. Nephele quickly got fitted out for robes and then bought her pewter cauldron and a nice set of scales. She visited the Apothecary and asked for basic potion ingredients. Nephele then went and bought a collapsible telescope and walked towards Ollivanders Wand Shop. She walked through the door and smiled at the sound of a tinkling bell. The shop was tiny, only one spindly chair in which Nephele placed her things on. Nephele let her eyes wander over the piles of narrow boxes that nearly reached the ceiling.  
>"Good afternoon." The soft voice made Neph jump a little.<br>"Hello." Nephele said politely.  
>"Ah yes, Nephele Mithra. You look very much like your mother. It seems that it were only yesterday that she was in here buying her first wand, ten inches, walnut, nice and pliable." Mr Olivander stepped a little closer to Nephele. "I wonder which wand will choose you. It is the wand that chooses the wizard after all." Olivander took out a measuring tape, "Which is your wand arm?"<br>"I'm left handed." Nephele replied, holding her said arm out.  
>Olivander did a few measurements then left the tape to do the rest. He managed to stop the measuring tape before it started to measure Nephele's nostrils and then he presented her with a wand. "Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Just give it a wave."<br>Nephele raised the wand and flourished it but it was immediately snatched out of her hand. "Hawthorn and unicorn hair. Ten inch" after Nephele waved this wand three, silver and green sparks erupted from the tip but Olivander snatched it back. They tried a couple more wands before Olivander presented Nephele with a Willow and unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inch wand. As Nephele's fingers wrapped around the handle she felt warmth spread through her fingers. She waved the wand and a stream of green and silver sparks erupted from the tip. Olivander clapped his hands. "Brilliant! It suits you!" Olivander placed the wand back in its box and wrapped it for Nephele. Nephele paid for the wand and walked out of the shop with a spring in her step. She bought a bag that was bigger on the inside, from a shop nearby and placed all her parcels inside. She then shoved her wand in her pocket, after unwrapping it, and wandered down Diagon Alley.  
>Nephele checked her money bag and walked into Eeylops Owl Emporium. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom and she was met with hoots and hisses from the caged animals. Nephele approached the counter, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of each animal.<br>"Can I help you?" a young witch asked,  
>"I'm looking for an owl." Nephele replied, smiling.<br>"Any preferences?"  
>"Something small but that can carry a large enough load."<br>"We've just gotten one of those in." the witch replied. She walked out from behind the counter and lead Nephele over to a slightly smaller cage than the rest. "This is a Tropical Screech owl." The witch reached up and removed the cage. She handed it to Nephele, "She is fully grown at this height, twenty-four centimetres, and has a wingspan of about thirty centimetres. Is this what you were looking for?"  
>Nephele examined the bird. She was brown with black, sooty marks and bright, yellow eyes. "She's perfect." Nephele grinned. She paid for her owl and Nephele stepped back outside. Cinza, the name she had decided for the Tropical Screech, hooted softly in her cage. "I know you want to get out and fly but you can't now." Nephele murmured comfortingly, "You'll be able to stretch your wings when we get home."<br>Nephele walked out of Diagon Alley, ignoring all the strange looks that Cinza earned her. She caught her father's eye and he smiled. Tobias met Nephele outside the café and they made their way to the London Underground.

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	3. Chapter 3: The Hogwarts Express

**I just want to say a HUGE thankyou to RonHermione7 for reviewing!  
>Please review! <strong>

The month before school started passed in a flash. Towards the end of August Nephele got more and more agitated. She had started crossing off days on her calendar, counting down until September the 1st. Her father tried to fill her in on what he knew of Wizarding Law but his knowledge had large holes.  
>The morning of September the 1st came and Nephele woke with a start just as her clock flashed to 5:30am. She was too excited to try and sleep so she got up and dressed quickly. Nephele put on her school uniform but left the robes in her bag, not wanting to walk through King's Cross with them on. She quickly packed her trunk, managing to fit in all her school books plus clothing and equipment. Neph made sure that Cinza was in her cage and then she paced around her room until the sun rose. Nephele made her way downstairs and fixed herself breakfast. Every five minutes, the clock on the wall earned a worried glance from Nephele but it seemed to be going doubly slow. Eventually her father came down stairs, still in his pyjamas, and poured himself a glass of juice.<br>He smiled at Nephele, "Excited?"  
>Nephele raised an eyebrow "What do you think? Of <em>course<em> I'm excited!"  
>Her father laughed, he quickly ate a piece of toast then disappeared upstairs to get dressed. Nephele hurriedly cleared the table and washed the dishes. She then paced the living room, waiting for Tobias.<br>He came down stairs and smiled at Nephele, "Want some help with your trunk?"  
>Nephele nodded and followed him back upstairs. Together they managed to transport the trunk downstairs and into the car. Neph dashed upstairs again to collect Cinza before sliding into the passenger seat next to her father.<br>The car trip seemed to last forever but, at last, they pulled up at King's Cross Station. Tobias helped Nephele load her trunk and Cinza's cage into a trolley and helped her wheel it to the barrier between platforms Nine and Ten.  
>"Got your ticket?" he asked,<br>"Yes. It came with my letter." Nephele replied, digging it out of her pocket. She smiled at the 'nine and three quarters' written on it.  
>"You remember how to get onto the platform?"<br>Neph sighed, "Yes dad. Just run at the wall and you arrive on platform nine and three quarters."  
>Her father laughed, "I'm only making sure. Now you've got Cinza so write to me when you can and if you want to stay for the holidays, that's fine. I'll just need to know. You mother always said that it was hard to leave Hogwarts." He smiled.<br>"I know dad." Nephele said softly. She reached over and hugged him tightly, "I'll miss you."  
>"I'll miss you too darlin'." Tobias hugged her back, "Be careful."<br>"I will dad." Nephele grinned, exasperated. She waved one more time before wheeling her trolley around and running at the barrier. Involuntarily, Nephele shut her eyes just before she hit the wall but opened them to see the Hogwarts Express at platform nine and three quarters. There were kids everywhere, running this way and that, parents calling hurried goodbyes and fussing over their children. Nephele grinned at the sight and made her way towards the train. Cinza hooted softly in her cage,  
>"Oh all right Cinza." Nephele sighed, opening Cinza's cage and allowing her owl to hop up onto her shoulder. Nephele headed towards the luggage compartment and struggled with her trunk before a pair of red-haired twins appeared at her side.<br>"Want some help with that?" the said together,  
>"Oh, yes please." Nephele replied gratefully. She helped them load her trunk onto the train and smiled her thanks.<br>"I'm Fred." Said one of the twins,  
>"And I'm George." The other replied.<br>"Weasley," they chorused,  
>"I'm Nephele," Nephele held out her hand and shook both the twins. "It's nice to meet you Fred and George," she inclined her head to each as she said there name.<br>"You can tell us apart?" the asked, shocked,  
>Nephele laughed, "I have many twins as cousins, I've gotten pretty good at telling them apart."<br>The twins laughed, "I gather they didn't come to Hogwarts, there haven't been many twins here." Fred grinned,  
>"No…" Nephele started to get nervous "They're all Muggles."<br>"Are you Muggle-born?" George asked,  
>"No." Nephele shook her head "My mother was a witch but she died when I was very young."<br>The twins looked sympathetic, "Muggle-raised then." Fred said,  
>"There will be some people who will ask you for your 'blood status'." George continued,<br>"All you need to say is 'half-blood'." the twins finished together.  
>"Oh thanks." Nephele grinned. These twins were very kind. She waved a goodbye as Fred and George moved off to offer help to a small, skinny, black haired boy. Nephele didn't hang around to watch; instead she stepped onto the train and glanced around for an empty compartment. She noticed that she still had Cinza's cage tucked under her arm but, after a glance behind her, decided against trying to make her way back to the luggage compartment. Eventually Nephele came across a compartment with only a pale boy in it. The boy looked very familiar with his pale blond hair and pointed face. He was the boy whom Nephele had spotted in Madame Malkin's, in Diagon Alley. She slid the compartment door open and glanced at the boy. "Do you mind?" she indicated the empty seat in front of him, "Everywhere else is full…"<br>The boy glanced up at Nephele and nodded and held out his hand, "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."  
>Nephele shook his hand "Nephele Mithra."<br>They talked for a while and Nephele immediately like the boy. He was kind and a little bit shy and was reluctant to tell her much about his life at home. "What's your status?" Draco asked suddenly, as if only just remembering that he was supposed to.  
>"Half-blood But I was raised by Muggles." Nephele said before she could stop herself. She glanced at Draco uncertainly. Fred and George had made it sound as though the people who would ask her for her status weren't to be trusted.<br>Draco scoffed at the fact that she had been raised by Muggles and immediately dismissed her as something less than him. Nephele folded her arms and scowled. She thought he had been nice but he had only turned out as one of _Them_. Cinza seemed to scowl at Draco too but he just stared out of the window. After a while the door of the compartment slid open and a round faced boy came in.  
>"Sorry," he said "but you haven't seen a toad at all?"<br>Nephele shook her head apologetically and the boy's expression dropped, "I've lost him!" he cried,  
>"I'm sure he'll turn up." Nephele said kindly, glaring at Draco for not being helpful.<br>"Yes. Well, if you see him…"  
>The boy left and Nephele crossed her arms again and continued to glare at Draco.<br>A little while later the door of the compartment slid open again and two massive boys stepping in. Nephele thought that the only way to describe them to compare them to gorillas but, she thought, that would be an insult to gorillas. They were both quite large, with a dumb look in their eyes. Nephele glared at them but they didn't seem to notice.  
>"Ah, Grabbe, Goyle where've you been?" Draco drawled.<br>This made Nephele scowl even further. _Great! Just great! He had thugs!  
><em>At around half past twelve Nephele heard a clattering outside the door. A smiling woman peered in, "Anything off the trolley dears?"  
>Nephele bought only a few things but watched in horror as Crabbe and Goyle stuffed themselves with food. After their food had gone, and this didn't take long, Crabbe and Goyle started to get restless. Draco didn't seem to notice as he was sitting deep in thought. He glanced up as some students rushed past the compartment. Draco slowly rose and slid the door open.<br>"Harry? Harry Potter?"  
>"Yes, he's just down the train."<br>"Merlin's Beard, really?"  
>"<em>The <em>Harry Potter?"  
>Voices erupted from the corridors. They always mentioned this "Harry Potter" and his name caught Draco's attention. "Crabbe, Goyle!" He commanded "We're going to find some more food." At this Draco smirked and Grabbe and Goyle perked up. They lumbered after Draco leaving Nephele alone. After a few minutes the three boys reappeared, Goyle clutching his bleeding finger. Nephele smirked to herself at the sight. "Damned Potter and that Weasley!" Draco muttered, "Think they can set rats on us and get away with it do they?"<br>This last comment made Nephele smirk again, earning a glare from Draco. After a few minutes of the three boys muttering to themselves they got out their robes and pulled them on.  
>Nephele copied them, making sure Cinza was back in her cage, "Shhh." She said to Cinza's hooting, "It won't be for long."<br>Cinza eventually calmed down just as a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."  
>Nephele left a sad Cinza on the train before stepping, nervously, into the crowded corridor. The train slowed to a stop and Nephele stepped out onto a small, dark platform. Nephele shivered, half in nerves the other half because of the cold night air. She spotted a lantern bobbing over the heads of the students. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here." A familiar voice called from Hagrid's approaching figure, "C'mon follow me-any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"<br>Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Nephele thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody talked much. The boy who had lost his toad sniffed a couple of times.  
>"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' 'round this bend here."<br>There was a loud "Oooooh!"  
>The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.<br>"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting on the water by the shore. Nephele got stuck with Draco and his thugs, much to her displeasure.  
>"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, "Right then-FORWARD!"<br>And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.  
>"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.<br>"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.  
>"Trevor!" the round-faced boy cried, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto a smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.<br>They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.  
>"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"<br>Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	4. Chapter 4: The Sorting Hat

**A/N: I just want to say a HUGE thank you to RonHermione7 for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!**

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Nephele knew that she wasn't someone to cross.  
>"The firs' years. Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.<br>"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."  
>She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could've fitted Nephele's entire house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.<br>They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Nephele caught the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to her right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.  
>"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room.<br>The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.  
>The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."<br>Her eyes lingered for a moment and the Toad Boy's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on a red haired boy's nose, Nephele guessed that he was a relation to Fred and George. The black-haired boy Nephele had spotted at platform nine and three quarters nervously tried to flatten his hair.  
>"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."<br>"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" the black-haired boy asked the red-head.  
>"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."<br>Definitely a Weasley then. Nephele thought before realising what he had just said. A test? In front of the entire school? But she knew no magic. What on earth would she have to do? Nephele glanced around and found that everyone looked as nervous as her. The only person who was talking was a small, bushy-haired girl who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learnt and wonderin which one she'd need. Nephele tried to block the girl's voice out, she was too nervous for something like this. Her eyes fixed on the door, waiting for Professor McGonagall to reappear. Then something happened that nearly made her jump a foot in the air and several people behind her screamed.  
>Nephele gasped and so did everyone else. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"<br>"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?"  
>A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.<br>Nobody answered.  
>"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"<br>A few people nodded mutely.  
>"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."<br>"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."  
>Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.<br>"Now form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."  
>Nephele felt oddly like her legs had turned to lead, she fell in line behind Draco and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.<br>Nephele had never even imagined such a strange and wonderful place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were seated. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Nephele tilted her head and looked at the ceiling. It was velvety black and dotted with stars. She heard the bushy-haired girl whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in _Hogwarts, a History_."  
>Nephele thought that it was hard to believe that there was a ceiling at all, and that the Great Hall didn't just open up into the heavens. Nephele's gaze was drawn downwards as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she placed a pointed wizard's hat. The hat was patched and frayed and very dirty.<br>Maybe we have to pull a rabbit out of it…? Nephele thought, noticing that everyone in the hall was staring at the hat and Nephele joined them. For a few seconds there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat began to sing:

_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
>But don't judge on what you see,<br>I'll eat myself if you can find  
>A smarter hat than me.<em>

_You can keep your bowlers black,_  
><em>Your top hats sleek and tall,<em>  
><em>For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat<em>  
><em>And I can cap them all.<em>

_There's nothing hidden in your head_  
><em>The Sorting Hat can't see,<em>  
><em>So try me on and I will tell you<em>  
><em>Where you ought to be.<em>

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_  
><em>Where dwell the brave at heart,<em>  
><em>Their daring, nerve, and chivalry<em>  
><em>Set Gryffindors apart;<em>

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_  
><em>Where they are just and loyal,<em>  
><em>Those patient Hufflepuffs are true<em>  
><em>And unafraid of toil;<em>

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_  
><em>if you've a ready mind,<em>  
><em>Where those of wit and learning,<em>  
><em>Will always find their kind;<em>

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_  
><em>You'll make your real friends,<em>  
><em>Those cunning folks use any means<em>  
><em>To achieve their ends.<em>

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_  
><em>And don't get in a flap!<em>  
><em>You're in safe hands (though I have none)<em>  
><em>For I'm a Thinking Cap!<br>_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. So we have to put the hat on? Nephele thought. In front of the whole school? What if she didn't fit anywhere?  
>Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.<br>"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbot, Hannah!"  
>A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause-<p>

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.  
>The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Nephele spotted the Fat Friar waving cheerfully at Hannah.<br>"Bones, Susan!"  
>"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.<br>"Boot, Terry!"  
>"RAVENCLAW!"<br>The table second from the right clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.  
>"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Nephele could see the Weasley twins wolf-whistling.<br>"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.  
>Nephele was definitely starting to feel sick, her stomach was churning and her breathing grew quicker.<br>"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"  
>"HUFFLEPUFF!"<br>Nephele noticed that sometimes the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus" sat on the stool for nearly a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.  
>"Granger, Hermione!"<br>The bushy-haired girl almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat on eagerly.  
>"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat and the Weasley boy groaned.<br>"Longbottom, Neville" the round-faced boy who kept losing his toad was called over and the hat took a long time before deciding. When in finally shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" the boy ran off with the hat still on his head and had to jog back to hand it to "MacDougal, Morag," who was sorted into Ravenclaw.  
>"Malfoy, Draco!"<br>Draco swaggered forward and as soon as the hat touched his head it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"  
>Draco went to join his thugs Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.<br>Then "Mithra, Nephele!" was called and Nephele walked forwards on shaky legs. She sat on the stool and had a glimpse of hundreds of faces staring at her before the Sorting Hat's brim fell over her eyes.  
>"Hmmm…" a small voice whispered in her ear, "Difficult. You have the cunning of a Slytherin and the brains of a Ravenclaw. But where to put you? Slytherin would do you justice, your cunning and self-value, show this. But you are half-blood and they do not accept half-bloods. Ravenclaw is suited to you, as you have the cool logic needed, but your ambitions are not purely academic. Maybe it is time for Slytherin to have a change of heart and there <em>is <em>something there for you… SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted the last word to the entire school. Nephele took off the hat and walked over to the cheering Slytherin table. She scowled when she saw that she had to sit opposite Draco but smirked at his shocked expression. He obviously hadn't expected her to become a Slytherin. Nephele could see the High Table properly now. At one of the ends sat Hagrid who nodded cheerfully at her and she grinned back. And there, in the very centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Nephele recognised him from one of the Chocolate Frog cards she had received on the Hogwarts Express.  
>"Nott, Theodore" became a Slytherin too and so did "Parkinson, Pansy". A pair of twin girls were next, "Patil, Padma" went to Ravenclaw and "Patil, Parvati" was sorted into Gryffindor. "Perks, Sally-Anne" was sorted as well and then Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, Harry!"<br>As the skinny, black-haired boy stepped forward the hall burst out in whispers.  
>"<em>Potter<em>, did she say?"  
>"<em>The<em> Harry Potter?"

As the Sorting Hat slipped over Potter's eyes the entire hall fell silent. Potter sat on the stool for a while before the hat yelled; "GRYFFINDOR!" and the Gryffindors cheered the loudest yet.  
>Nephele could hear the Weasley twins chanting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"<br>Nephele watched as Potter sat down at the Gryffindor table opposite the ghost in the ruff she had seen earlier.  
>There were only three more people to be sorted. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then "Weasley, Ronald" was called.<br>The red-haired boy walked up to the stool, a pale green in colour. Nephele clapped as the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
>"Zabini, Blaise" was sorted into Slytherin and Nephele clapped with everyone else. Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. Nephele glanced down at her empty plate, realising how long it had been since she had eaten.<br>Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.  
>"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!<br>Thank you!"  
>He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Nephele nearly laughed and then her mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs.<br>Nephele had never been starved at home but she could never have eaten as much as she'd liked before. She piled her plate with a bit of everything, though she decided to leave the humbugs alone, and began to eat. It was delicious.  
>Nephele noticed a ghost sitting next to a disgruntled Draco, watching her sadly, "That does look good." He muttered,<br>"Can't you - ?" Nephele asked,  
>"I haven't eaten for a very long time…" the ghost replied, "I don't need to of course but I do miss it." The ghost's attention wavered and he lost interest in Nephele leaving her very confused.<br>"Don't worry 'bout him." A fellow Slytherin said "The Bloody Baron's always like that."  
>Nephele nodded and smiled before going back to her food. She glanced up at a commotion from the Gryffindor table; a ghost had apparently pulled his head off.<br>"Nearly Headless Nick showing off again." A prefect muttered to his friend, "I'm really getting tired of the same thing every year." The prefect turned to Nephele, "I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year. We'd hate to lose our winning streak of six years."  
>Nephele smiled at the prefect, "I'll try."<br>After everyone had eaten their fill the last of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean. A moment later the puddings appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding…  
>As Nephele helped herself to some apple pie the talk around her turned to families. Draco was boasting about how his Wizarding Ancestry stretched back further than anyone could remember. It was all, "my father this…my father that…"<br>Nephele scowled at him again and this time he noticed her. "I don't know how _you_ got in." he sneered, "She's half-blood." He explained to the listening Slytherins. "And raised by Muggles." This made the other Slytherins sneer as well, leaving Nephele to scowl at them all.  
>"She don't belong 'ere!" one jeered,<br>"Oh come on." The prefect Nephele had spoken to said, "There's got to be a reason why the Sorting Hat put her here. Who was your magical parent?" he asked Nephele,  
>"Matilda Mithra, though her maiden name was Nettles."<br>"You see?" the prefect said, "Matilda Nettles was a well-known Slytherin. She was pure-blood and proud of it!"  
>The other Slytherins nodded and then left Nephele alone but Draco Malfoy continued to sneer at her.<br>At last the puddings disappeared as well and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.  
>"Ahem- just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you.<br>First years should note that the forest in the grounds in forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."  
>Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.<br>"I have also been asked by Mr Filtch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.  
>Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch.<br>And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."  
>A few scattered people laughed at this but Nephele heard a serious note to Dumbledore's words.<br>"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. He gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.  
>"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"<br>And the school bellowed:

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,__  
><em>_Teach us something please,__  
><em>_Whether we be old and bald,__  
><em>_Or young with scabby knees__  
><em>_Our heads could do with filling,__  
><em>_With some interesting stuff,__  
><em>_For now they're bare and full of air,__  
><em>_Dead flies and bits of fluff,__  
><em>_So teach us things worth knowing,__  
><em>_Bring back what we've forgot,__  
><em>_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,__  
><em>_And learn until our brains all rot._

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.  
>"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"<br>The Slytherin first years followed the kind prefect through the chattering crowds. They were lead down into the dungeons, and Nephele thought they must be under the lake as the light flickered green. The prefect muttered the password, "foxglove" to the stone wall and led the first years into the common room. The common room had a very grand feeling, with black and dark green, leather couches with buttons, skulls and dark wood cupboards. The prefect directed the boys and girls to their separate dormitories. Their trunks had already been brought up. Nephele pulled on her pyjamas and fell into bed and fell asleep as her head touched the pillow.

**PS: PLEASE review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Potions

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay but my dad banned me from the computer. I am goin away for the next three weeks so there won't be any more chapters until I get back but I hope you like this one!  
>PLEASE review! <strong>

The next day Nephele managed not to get lost that much as she though she would've as she shared most of her classes with Draco, she wasn't very happy about this, but he did seem to know his way around. There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step half-way up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. Everything also seemed to move around a lot but Nephele eventually got into the rhythm of it all.  
>Peeves the Poltergeist was a menace if you were late for class. He would drop waste-paper baskets on your head, pull rugs out from under your feet, pelt you with bits if chalk or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"<p>

* * *

><p>Once you had managed to find them, there were the lessons themselves. They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every week at midnight, and learn the names of planets and their movements. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learnt how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and found out what they were used for.<br>Easily the most boring lesson was History of Magic, which was the only class taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old when he had fallen asleep in front of the staffroom fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind.  
>Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.<br>Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. He apparently toppled off this pile when he read out Potter's name in class. Nephele had listened to rumours and done a little research and she now knew why Potter was so famous.  
>Professor McGonagall was different again. Nephele had been quite right to think she wasn't one to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking to the moment they had sat down in her first class.<br>"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."  
>She then changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realised they weren't going to be changing furniture into animals for a long time. After making a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson only Neph had managed to make any difference to her needle, much to her surprise as anyone else's. Professor McGonagall showed the class how Neph's match had gone all silver and pointy and gave Nephele on of her rare smiles.<br>The class that nearly everyone had been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Professor Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Blaise Zabini asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so Quirrell was protected wherever he went.  
>Nephele was relieved to find out that she wasn't behind everybody else. There were heaps of people who had come from Muggle families, though none in Slytherin, and there was so much to learn that even people like Draco didn't have much of a head start.<br>Friday marked the end of Nephele's first week at Hogwarts. While she was eating her breakfast she checked her timetable; double Potions with the Gryffindors. Just as she put her timetable back in her bag the post arrived. The very first morning this had happened it had given Neph a bit of a shock. Cinza usually fluttered down to say hello, and maybe take a nibble out of Neph's toast but this morning she had a letter from Nephele's father.

_Dear Nephele,  
>I hope you've had a great first week at Hogwarts and I hope you've learnt a lot.<br>Everything's fine at home, though it has been a lot quieter with you gone. I was very surprised when Cinza arrived without a letter but I think she knew that I wanted to write to you. Please write back with any news you have.  
>Lots of love,<br>Dad_

Nephele smiled at the letter and tucked it away in her pocket until she had time to write a reply. Cinza flew off with a soft hoot back to the owlery and Nephele started to make her way to class. Potions took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would've been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.  
>Professor Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the register and he paused at Potter's name.<br>"Ah yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new – _celebrity_."  
>Draco and his thugs sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.<br>"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word-like Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death-if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."  
>More silence followed this little speech. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.<br>"Potter!" said Professor Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"  
>Granger's hand had shot into the air, making Nephele smirk. She knew the answer of course, it wasn't that hard but Nephele wasn't one to act the teacher's pet.<br>"I don't know, sir," Potter said.  
>Professor Snape's lips curled into a sneer.<br>"Tut, tut-fame clearly isn't everything."  
>He ignored Hermione Granger's hand.<br>"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"  
>Granger stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat. Nephele shook her head sadly. She knew the answer to this one as well but she hated people like Granger. Nephele smirked and Draco, Grabbe and Goyle started to shake with laughter.<br>"I don't know, sir."  
>"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Professor Snape still ignored Granger's quivering hand. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"<br>At this, Granger stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling.  
>"I don't know," Potter replied quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"<br>A few people laughed but Professor Snape was not pleased.  
>"Sit down," he snapped at Granger. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"<br>There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Professor Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."  
>Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued, much to the delight of the Slytherins. Professor Snape put them all in pairs; Nephele scowled when she was paired with Draco, and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising everyone except for Neph and Draco. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way they had stewed their horned slugs, making Nephele blush, when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Longbottom had somehow managed to melt Finnigan's cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Longbottom, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.<br>"Idiot boy!" snarled Professor Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"  
>Longbottom whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose, causing the Slytherins to snigger.<br>"Take him to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Finnigan. Then he rounded on Potter and Weasley, who had been working next to Longbottom.  
>"You-Potter- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."<br>Potter opened his mouth to argue but Weasley must've kicked him, or something, as Potter closed his mouth without saying anything.  
>The last hour of Potions was enjoyable. Nephele loved the art of Potion Making. The only downside was that she had to work with Draco. <em>It could be worse, <em>she thought. _At least he's fairly okay at Potions.  
><em>Professor Snape praised Nephele's work, even giving her five points to Slytherin for "trial and error" as she had crushed a bean instead of cutting it, producing more juice.  
>As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon Nephele actually smiled a little at Draco and, surprisingly, he smiled back before he hurried off somewhere else. Nephele made her way back to the Slytherin common room and started writing a letter to her dad.<p>

_Dear dad,  
>I've had an amazing week here, Hogwarts really is a magical place. I have learnt a lot, I even managed to turn a matchstick into a needle! Surprisingly I'm doing well in all of my classes, particularly Potions, which is taught by Professor Severus Snape. I was sorted into Slytherin (I'm not sure if you know about the school houses but mum was a Slytherin too!). I've managed to keep up with all the homework and I've even earned house points! I can't wait for flying lessons (they start next week)!<br>I hope you're well,  
>Lots of love<br>Nephele_

Nephele re-read the letter and then walked up to the owlery to find Cinza. She tied the letter to Cinza's leg and took her owl over to the open window. "Safe flight!" she called as Cinza took off and flew into the distance.

* * *

><p>Draco was walking up the steps from Potions, his mind in a mess, when Nephele Mithra smiled at him. He smiled back before realising what he'd done, and hurrying off somewhere else. His mind was full of thoughts about what his father would do to him if he found out that Draco was starting to like a <em>half-blood<em>. Draco didn't want to believe that he was starting to like Nephele but he was. She was kind, smart and funny – but he had ruined all chances of friendship on the Hogwarts Express. Draco sighed, why did he have to make life so difficult for himself? He could try and make amends to Nephele…? but then images of the beating he would receive from his father rose up in Draco's mind and he pushed the idea away.

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! (They make me write faster! Plus, if I don't get any reviews I'll think that no-one likes my story and I'll stop posting!)**


	6. Chapter 6: Flying

**Hello Readers! I am SO sorry that this chapter took so long but I have been piled with assignments...  
><strong>**I hope you like it and PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

Nephele had been right in that flying lessons were to start next Thursday but the Slytherins would be learning with the Gryffindors. Most of the first year Slytherins groaned at this news but then they got distracted by talk of Quidditch. Nearly everybody in Slytherin had some tale or another about flying. Draco complained loudly about how first years never made the house teams and told long, boastful stories which always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. Nephele, being the only Muggle-raised Slytherin, was the only one without flying experience and, as Thursday drew closer, she got more and more nervous.  
>Thursday morning arrived and Nephele received a "good luck" from her father and scowled as Draco opened a package of sweets that his Eagle Owl had brought him. A while later Draco swaggered over to the Gryffindor table, with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. He snatched a glass ball filled with red smoke from Longbottom's hand. Potter and Weasley jumped to their feet, almost as if they were looking for a fight but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.<br>"What's going on?" her voice drifted over to where Nephele was sitting,  
>"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."<p>

Scowling, Draco quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.  
>"Just looking," he said, and he slunk away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.<br>At three-thirty that afternoon, Nephele, Draco and the other Slytherins made their way down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their feet as they sauntered down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest. There were about twenty broomsticks lying in neat rows on the ground but the Gryffindors were nowhere to be seen. They waited for a few minutes before the Gryffindors came marching towards them.  
>Their teacher, Madame Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.<br>"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."  
>Nephele ended up beside Draco and she scowled at him before glancing at her broom. It was fairly new compared to the others but there were still twigs that stuck out at odd angles.<br>"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madame Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!' "  
>"UP!" everyone shouted.<br>Both Nephele's and Draco's brooms jumped into their hands at once but they were only some of the few that did. Granger's had simply rolled over and Longbottom's hadn't moved at all.  
>Madame Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Nephele smirked when Madame Hooch told Draco that he'd been doing it wrong for years. Her smirk grew wider at Draco's expression when Madame Hooch complimented her on her own grip.<br>"Now, when I blow my whistle I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madame Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"  
>Longbottom, nervous and jumpy, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madame Hooch's lips.<br>"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Longbottom was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle-twelve feet-twenty feet. Nephele saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and -  
>WHAM- a thud and a nasty crack and Longbottom lay face down on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher and it started to drift lazily towards the Forbidden Forest and out of sight.<br>Madame Hooch bent over Longbottom, her face as white as his.  
>"Broken wrist" Nephele heard her mutter. "Come on boy-it's all right, up you get."<br>She turned to the rest of the class.  
>"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say "Quidditch". Come on, dear."<p>

Longbottom, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madame Hooch, who had her arm around him.  
>No sooner were they out of earshot than Draco burst into laughter.<br>"Did you see his face, the great lump?"  
>Nephele and the other Slytherins started to laugh as well.<br>"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.  
>"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a fellow Slytherin. "Never thought <em>you'd<em> like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

"Look!" cried Draco, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass, "it's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."  
>The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.<br>"Give that here, Malfoy," said Potter quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.  
>Draco smiled nastily.<br>"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect – how about – up a tree?"  
>"Give it <em>here<em>!" Potter yelled, but Draco had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. Nephele could help but grin, Draco _could_ fly. He hovered level with the topmost branches of an oak.  
>"Come and get it, Potter!" he called.<br>Potter grabbed his broom.  
>"<em>No<em>!" Granger shouted. "Madame Hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all into trouble."  
>Potter ignored her. He mounted his broom and kicked off from the ground. His robes whipped out behind him as he climbed higher. A few people screamed and gasped and Weasley whooped.<br>Potter turned his broom sharply to face Draco in mid-air. Draco looked stunned.  
>"Give it here," Potter called, "or I'll knock you off you off that broom!"<br>"Oh yeah?" said Draco, trying to sneer but Nephele thought he was looking a bit worried.  
>Potter leant forward and shot towards Draco, who only just managed to avoid him. Potter made a sharp turn and held the boom steady. A few people started to clap.<br>No Grabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Potter called.  
>The same thought seemed to have crossed Draco's mind.<br>"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, throwing the glass ball high into the air and streaked back towards the ground.  
>Potter leant forward and pointed his broom towards the falling ball. He gathered speed as he sped towards the ground. A few of the people watching started to scream. Potter stretched out his hand and caught it a foot from the ground. He managed to pull his broom straight and then Potter toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched in his hand.<br>"HARRY POTTER!"  
>Nephele and the other Slytherins smirked as Professor McGonagall ran towards them. Potter got to his feet, obviously trembling.<br>"_Never_ – in all my time at Hogwarts -"  
>Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how <em>dare<em> you – might have broken your neck -"  
>"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"<br>"Be quiet, Miss Patil -"  
>"But Malfoy -"<p>

"That's _enough_, Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."  
>Draco, Crabbe and Goyle wore triumphant expressions as Potter left, walking in Professor McGonagall's wake.<br>In the few minutes it took for Madame Hooch to come back nobody said a word.  
>"Longbottom's going to be fine." Madame Hooch assured Parvati Patil before turning to the rest of the class. "Mount your brooms, everyone." She barked.<br>Nephele swung her leg over her broom and glanced back to Madame Hooch.  
>"Everyone kick off <em>on<em> my whistle. Three – two – one -" Madame Hooch blew her whistle and Nephele kicked the ground hard. She soared into the air, somehow managing to stay level with Draco, who was flying beside her. The wind blowing through her hair and throwing her robes out behind her sent a jolt of exhilaration through her body. She immediately knew what to do to control her broom and, involuntarily, turned and grinned at Draco. He grinned back, with a sparkle in his eye.  
>After the class had landed again Madame Hooch directed them to do a few more aerial manoeuvres before the lesson ended. Nephele, much to her surprise, managed to complete all of the manoeuvres correctly, earning her five house points. At this Draco glanced her way and half-smiled, earning one in return.<p>

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><p>During dinner Nephele spotted Weasley and Potter talking excitedly as they ate, but she was soon distracted by the food. While she ate her gaze kept being drawn to Draco. After a few minutes he got up and swaggered over to the Gryffindor table, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. Luckily the Gryffindor table was right next to the Slytherin one so Nephele could hear what was going on.<br>"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"  
>"You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you." Potter said coolly. There was of course nothing little about Crabbe and Goyle but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than scowl and crack their knuckles.<br>"I'd take you on anytime on my own," Draco replied. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"  
>"Of course he has," Weasley snapped, wheeling around, "I'm his second, who's yours?"<br>Draco looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.  
>"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked."<br>Draco then sauntered away from the Gryffindor table and sat back down at the Slytherin one. He caught Nephele's eye as he dug into a pie and smiled. Nephele grinned but as soon as she did Draco quickly looked down at his plate.  
>Nephele finished her dinner and wandered down to the Slytherin common room, her thoughts full of Draco Malfoy. Why did he act so weird? ... It seems as though he keeps forgetting and then remembering something, or <em>someway<em> he had to behave… He was really nice when I first met him but then… Nephele sighed and shook her head. She didn't want to be thinking along those lines.

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><p>Draco couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Potter and Weasley were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheery. Nephele was dying to know what had happened during the wizard's duel but, though she could guess most of it, she didn't dare ask Draco.<p>

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><p>About a week later a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls flew into the Great Hall. Nephele forgot about her breakfast and watched, with the rest of the school, as the package flew towards the Gryffindor table. The owls dropped it in front of Potter, knocking his bacon to the floor. The owls had only just fluttered away when another owl swooped in and dropped a letter on top of the package. Potter ripped open the letter and his mouth dropped open and then spread into a half supressed grin. Potter handed the note to Weasley who, after reading it, looked envious. They left the hall quickly and Nephele followed curiously. Potter and Weasley were stopped half-way across the entrance hall by Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Draco seized the package from Potter, not noticing Nephele watching, and felt it.<br>"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Potter with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."  
>Weasley couldn't help but boast.<br>"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Weasley grinned at Potter. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."  
>"What would you know about that, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Draco snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."<br>Before Weasley could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Draco's elbow.  
>"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.<br>"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," Draco said quickly.  
>"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Potter. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"<br>"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Potter, looking like he was about to burst out laughing at Draco's shocked expression. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.  
>Potter and Weasley headed upstairs, snorting with laughter.<br>Nephele shot Draco a sympathetic glance and dashed back to the Slytherin common room to grab her bag before going to class.


	7. Chapter 7: Unexpected Friendship

**A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to point out a little thing with pronunciation. I am sorry that this hadn't occured to me before but _Nephel_e is pronounced _Neff-ell_ (rhymes with_ bell_)**

Maybe it was all the homework Nephele had received or how preoccupied her mind seemed to be but it shocked her to find out that she had been at Hogwarts for two months. The castle felt like home to Nephele just as much as her house on Whitmore Way. Her classes also got more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics. Nephele excelled in all of her classes, though Potions was her best. Professor Snape praised her work and she seemed to be able to understand the art of Potion Making to the extent in which she could improvise and achieve better results. Professor Snape even smiled at her once, when she succeeded in concocting a Forgetfulness Potion, earning her ten points for Slytherin.

She woke on Hallowe'en morning to the wondrous smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the school. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced that they were going to be learning how to make things fly, something they had been dying to do since he had made a book fly around the classroom in their first lesson.  
>They filed into the classroom chattering excitedly.<br>"Now remember the nice wrist movement we've been practising?" Professor Flitwick asked, "Swish and flick." He demonstrated with his wand. "And it's, _Wingardium Leviosa_. Don't forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and ended up with a buffalo on top of him."  
>A few of the Slytherins sniggered at this before turning to their feathers that they were trying to levitate. Nephele smirked at some of the attempts performed by Crabbe and Goyle.<br>Nephele turned to her own feather, "Wingardium Leviosa!" she cried, swishing and flicking her wand. The feather in front of her rose off the table and into the air.  
>Draco, who was sitting next to her, raised an eyebrow sceptically. "How did you manage that?" he demanded,<br>Nephele grinned, "Luck…?"  
>"Look at that, everyone. Miss Mithra's done it!" Professor Flitwick cried, "Excellent, excellent."<br>Draco frowned at Nephele before attempting to make his own feather rise off the table. "Wingardium Leviosa." He said. Nothing happened so he tried again. This time his feather flew off the table and rose to the height of Nephele's feather.  
>"Great work, Mr Malfoy!" Professor Flitwick beamed, "Five points to Slytherin."<p>

At this Draco smirked, looking very pleased with himself.

The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully and soon Nephele was making her way to the Great Hall for the Hallowe'en Feast. The hall looked magnificent. There were thousands of live bats flying this way and that, making the candles in the pumpkins flicker. The feast appeared on the golden plates, much like it did on Nephele's first night at Hogwarts. She was just helping herself to some pumpkin pie when the doors to the hall burst open and Professor Quirrell came sprinting through them, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table and gasped, "Troll – in the dungeons – though you ought to know."  
>He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.<p>

The hall erupted into chaos. It took several purple firecrackers from the end of Dumbledore's wand to restore silence.  
>"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"<br>The Slytherin prefect Nephele had met on her first night started to move. "Follow me! Stick together, first years! Stay close behind me. Make way, first years coming through."  
>Nephele followed the rest of the Slytherin first years but she stayed at the end of the line. Her eyes raked the line, searching for his familiar face but Nephele couldn't see Draco anywhere. He doesn't know about the troll! She thought before glancing at the prefect ahead of her before joining the Ravenclaw line going the other way. She remembered Draco mentioning something to Crabbe and Goyle about needing to think something over before the feast and watching as he headed towards the boys' toilets. Nephele darted out of the Ravenclaw line and made her way there.<br>She had just turned into the right corridor when a foul stench filled her nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilets that no one seems to clean. And then she heard it – a low grunting and shuffling foot-falls of gigantic feet.

Nephele shrank into the shadows against the wall and watched as it emerged. It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming form it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the ground because its arms were so long.  
>The troll paused for a moment and Nephele caught a flash of pale blond hair. Draco! She thought. Before her logical side could talk her out of it, Nephele had run towards the troll. Somehow she made it to Draco's side before the troll noticed that she was there.<br>"Why are you – how – but – what?" Draco stuttered.  
>"I noticed that you weren't at the feast so you wouldn't have known about the troll." Neph whispered quickly. "I came to warn you."<br>"Well, I know about the troll now." Draco replied.  
>Nephele smiled before the troll's club narrowly missed her head. It would've knocked her out if Draco hadn't pulled her away at the last minute.<br>"RUN!" Nephele grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him back down the passage. They sprinted away from the troll but it wasn't going to let them go that easily. It reached out and snagged Draco's robes with its free hand and pulled him back. Nephele spun around to face the troll again, pulling out her wand, "Oh no you don't!"  
>She knew that all the spells she had learnt wouldn't affect the troll but some <em>would<em> affect Draco. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she cried, pointing her wand at Draco. Draco rose into the air, torn from the trolls grasp. Nephele made him float away from the troll and managed to get him to land safely beside her. She then picked a loose stone from the wall and threw it as hard as she could behind the troll. The noise it made distracted the troll for long enough for Nephele and Draco to dart out of sight. They stayed close together as they scampered back to the Slytherin common room. Luckily nobody noticed them arriving in the common room after everyone else so Draco and Nephele were left in peace. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent over from the feast.  
>Draco grinned at Nephele and she smiled back. Then, without looking at each other, they both muttered, "Thanks" before hurrying off to get plates.<br>As Draco was piling food onto his plate, thoughts of Nephele whirled around and around his head. She had gone looking for him to warn him about the troll! Why would she do that? He had been an outright bastard to her since that train ride but she had been nice to him. She risked herself to save his life! Maybe he could forget about his father for her…?  
>He wanted Nephele to like him. Draco realised suddenly. He <em>had<em> to forget about what his father would do to him – for _her_… Draco smiled to himself. He promised himself that he would make it up to her and, hopefully, she would forgive him.  
>Nephele, after grabbing a plateful of food, thought she saw a change in Draco, a change for the better. He laughed more and acted friendly towards her. He seemed to want to make up for his earlier behaviour and Nephele was willing to forgive him. Without meaning to, Nephele had grown fond of Draco Malfoy over the past two months. They talked and talked, Draco quickly told Nephele about his father and why he had been such a bastard to her. Nephele quickly forgave him, much to Draco's delight, and started telling him about her home life. Draco listened with interest, constantly interrupting to ask questions. Some of his questions made Nephele smile but she explained the concepts of Muggle science patiently. She then quizzed Draco on Wizarding life and Wizarding Law. He smiled at her before launching into a long explanation that Nephele interrupted with more questions. Eventually Nephele asked Draco about the Wizard's duel he had set up with Potter.<br>"Oh that!" Draco laughed, "As soon as dinner had finished I went straight to Filtch. I was hoping that he would catch them out of bed but they managed to elude him." Draco's expression fell in distaste.  
>"Why do you hate Potter so much?" Nephele asked curiously.<br>Draco told her about what had happened on the train.  
>"So <em>that<em> was why Goyle's finger was bleeding," Nephele said, giggling slightly.  
>Draco smirked and nodded. He then frowned, remembering something. "We've got that essay for Professor Snape on the properties of Asphodel."<br>"You haven't done it?" Nephele asked surprised.  
>"I just need to finish it off." Draco assured her. He ducked upstairs and came back with his bag. He took out a roll of parchment, a pot of ink and a quill. "How long does it have to be?" he asked,<br>"Two feet." Nephele replied.  
>Draco groaned as he measured his essay, "I need another six inches."<br>Nephele scooted a bit closer, "Let me read it." She held out her hand and a relieved Draco passed over his essay. After a few minutes Nephele grabbed his quill and started editing the essay. She handed it back to Draco with her small neat handwriting all over it.  
>"You're a life saver, Neph." Draco grinned, "Thank you."<br>"It's no problem, Draco." Nephele smiled, "I'm glad to be able to help."  
>Draco took out another piece of parchment and started to copy out his work. Slowly, the common room emptied as the Slytherins went to bed and Nephele and Draco were alone by the fire. They talked while Draco copied out his homework but as soon as he finished they both said goodnight and went to bed.<br>They both fell asleep, neither being able to believe their unexpected friendship.

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	8. Chapter 8: Bad News

**A/N: Hope you guys like the new chapter! Don't forget to review!**

As they entered November Nephele and Draco quickly became close friends. Draco taught her many things about the Wizarding world and Nephele helped him with homework. They always worked together in class, earning quite a lot of house points.  
>Most of the Slytherins had gotten over her half-blood status and greeted her with friendly gestures but there was always a few that despised her.<br>The weather also turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel.  
>Every morning the ground was covered in frost and Nephele frequently saw the Gamekeeper defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch pitch as the Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday Slytherin would be playing Gryffindor in the first match for the year. This was a very important match, Draco assured Nephele as he explained the rules to her, if Slytherin lost then Gryffindor would move up to second place in the house championship.<br>The news that Potter was the new Gryffindor Seeker spread throughout the school and Nephele heard many people telling him that he'd be brilliant and others saying that they would be running around underneath him with a mattress.  
>The Friday afternoon before the Quidditch match Nephele and Draco were sitting by a window in the noisy Slytherin common room. Nephele was reading through Draco's Charms homework for him. She would never let him copy but she was willing to check it for him so he got the correct answers anyway. Draco continued to fill Nephele in on the finer details of Quidditch and she couldn't wait to watch a game.<br>Saturday morning dawned bright and cold. The Great Hall was filled with the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everybody looking forward to a good Quidditch match. Draco and Nephele hungrily dug into the sausages, still discussing Quidditch. At about quarter to eleven Draco and Nephele made their way to the stands around the Quidditch pitch, wanting to get good seats. By eleven o'clock the entire school seemed to be watching the match. Nephele had a green and silver scarf wrapped around her neck and a little flag with the Slytherin emblem on it. She saw that a few of the Gryffindor first years had made a large banner out of, what looked like bed sheets. The banner had _Potter for President_ scrawled across it. Someone had drawn a large Gryffindor lion underneath it and Granger had probably done the spell that made the paint flash different colours. After a few minutes the teams emerged and the stands erupted into cheers. Madame Hooch was refereeing and her clear voice carried to the audience.  
>"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said.<br>"Mount your brooms, please."  
>Nephele watched as the players clambered onto their brooms. Madame Hooch gave a loud blast on her whistle and fifteen brooms rose into the air.<br>"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what and excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too –"  
>"JORDAN!"<br>"Sorry, Professor."  
>A Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor in the same year as the Weasley twins, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.<br>"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good friend of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc – no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by Slytherin – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goal posts but, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goal posts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"  
>Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.<br>The game continued with both Seekers staying out of the game. Draco had sworn loudly when Gryffindor had scored and Nephele had groaned in anger.  
>"Slytherin in possession," Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the – wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"<br>A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.  
>Both Seekers dived. Neck and neck they sped towards the Snitch – all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in mid-air to watch.<br>Potter was faster than the Slytherin Seeker, Higgs and he put on an extra burst of speed -  
>WHAM! The Gryffindor supporters roared in rage – Marcus Flint had blocked Potter on purpose and Potter's broom spun off course.<br>"Foul!" the Gryffindors screamed while most of the Slytherins sniggered.  
>Madame Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at goal for Gryffindor. But, in all the confusion, the Snitch had disappeared from sight.<br>Jordan was obviously finding it hard not to take sides.  
>"So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –"<br>"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall growled.  
>"I mean, after that open and revolting foul –"<br>"_Jordan, I'm warning you_ –"  
>"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."<br>Nephele's eyes were drawn from the game for a moment as Potter started flying all over the place.  
>Jordan was still commentating and what he was saying drew Neph's gaze back to the game.<br>"Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose – only joking, Professor – Slytherin score – oh no…"  
>Nephele and Draco leapt to their feet, cheering loudly with the rest of the Slytherins.<br>Suddenly people all over the stands started to point at Potter, who was rising higher and higher away from the game. His broom started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Potter's broom had given a wild jerk and he swung off it, only holding on with one hand.  
>There was a commotion from somewhere near the teacher's stand and then, somehow, Potter managed to clamber back onto his broom.<br>He was speeding towards the ground when Nephele saw him clap his hands to his mouth as though he was going to be sick. Potter hit the pitch on all fours – coughed – and then something gold fell into his hand.  
>"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head and the game ended in complete confusion.<br>"He didn't _catch_ it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference – Potter hadn't broken any rules and Jordan was happily shouting out the result – Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.  
>The Gryffindors didn't stop cheering as everyone made their way back to the castle. Nephele and Draco made their way dejectedly to the Great Hall for lunch.<p>

* * *

><p>Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.<br>No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Slytherin common room and the Great Hall had roaring fire the corridors became icy and a bitter wind rattled through the classroom windows. Worst of all was Potions down in the dungeons where their breath rose in a mist before them and they all crowded around their cauldrons to keep warm.  
>"I do feel sorry," Draco said, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they are not wanted at home."<br>He glanced over at Potter as he spoke, making Nephele snigger slightly while Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.  
>Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Nephele had seen Potter and Weasley sign up at once. She was going back to her father for Christmas and, as the weather had cleared, she was going to send him a letter that afternoon.<br>When they left the dungeons at the end of potions, Nephele and Draco found their way blocked by Potter, Weasley and a large fir tree.  
>"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Draco asked, "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose – that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."<br>Weasley dived at Draco just as Professor Snape came up the stairs.  
>"WEASLEY!"<p>

Weasley let go of the front of Draco's robes.  
>"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."<br>"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Professor Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."  
>Draco and Nephele pushed past the tree with grins spreading over their faces.<br>"That was brilliant!" Nephele said after they were out of earshot.  
>"Wasn't it?" Draco smirked.<br>They made their way back to the Slytherin common room and managed to grab the two-person sofa by the fire. They talked excitedly about the holidays, though Draco didn't say much about what he was going to do.  
>Nephele glanced up sharply at a tapping on the window. She leapt to her feet and quickly opened it to let a bedraggled Cinza fly through. She grabbed the letter tied to the owl's leg and ripped it open.<p>

_Dear Nephele,  
>I am your Aunt Sharron on your mother's side. I don't know if you remember me but we did meet quite a few times. Your two cousins and I would've stayed in contact with you but after your mother passed away your father pushed all magic aside. For a few years after this we still visited regularly but your father resented these visits. Eventually we decided that it would be best to leave him to himself and withdrew all contact.<br>I am writing with terrible news. Your father has fallen very ill and has had to be hospitalised. I know that you will want to visit him, especially these holidays, and I am offering you a place to stay. By the time you get this letter there won't be time for you to send I reply and I apologise for this. If you accept our offer we will meet you at King's Cross Station to take you to our home. If you don't turn up we will know that you have decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays.  
>I hope to see you soon,<br>Sharron Fitzroy. _

Nephele's hands started to shake as the message sank in.  
>"Neph?" Draco asked softly, moving a bit closer. "What is it?"<br>"I – it's – my – dad –" Nephele stammered, she eventually just handed Draco the letter and watched him as he read it.  
>After he had finished he looked up at Nephele sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Neph." He said softly, placing a hand on her arm.<br>Nephele sniffed loudly and wiped her nose, "Thanks," she muttered.  
>"What are you going to do?" Draco asked,<br>"I'm going to stay with them. I remember that they were a lot of fun when I was little, plus I do want to see my dad." Nephele tucked the letter into her pocket.  
>Draco and Nephele then went upstairs for their last dinner at Hogwarts until school resumed next term.<p>

* * *

><p>Nephele rose early the next day and finished packing all the last minute items into her trunk.<br>After breakfast all the students who were going home for the holidays, were on the Hogwarts Express and ready to go. Nephele and Draco shared a compartment with Crabbe and Goyle but the tugs soon wandered off to bully sweets off other first year, leaving the two friends alone. They talked and played many games of exploding snap, with hilarious results. They then used the exploding snap cards to see who could make the biggest card tower without it blowing up in their faces.  
>It wasn't long before the Hogwarts Express pulled up at platform nine and three quarters and both Draco and Nephele were herded through the barrier. They came out into the busy station together and they quickly moved away from the barrier behind them. Nephele spotted a blonde, pale woman calling Draco over. "Your mum?" she asked, pointing.<br>Draco nodded, "She was the one that wanted me home for Christmas."  
>Nephele smiled in sympathy. "Have a good Christmas, Draco. I'll see you next term!" she waved as her friend made his way over to his mother's side.<br>"Bye, Neph!" he called, waving as well.  
>Nephele smiled and then glanced around. She spotted her aunt and two cousins almost immediately. They were in Muggle clothes but they still stood out. Nephele smiled and walked over to them.<br>"Hello," she said, embracing her aunt.  
>"It's good to see you again, Nephele." Her aunt replied, "My, you have grown!"<br>Nephele laughed, pulling away.  
>"I'm glad you chose to come and stay with us." Her aunt said happily, "And I'm sorry about your dad."<br>Nephele nodded sadly before turning to her cousins. She could vaguely remember them from when she was little. They were twins, a boy and a girl.  
>"Hello, Neph!" they said together,<br>"I'm Joe,"  
>"And I'm Izzy!"<br>Nephele grinned, "It's great to see you again."  
>"Well, come on!" Sharron called. "Don't you guys want to go home?"<br>Nephele laughed again and fell in line between Joe and Izzy. They walked out of King's Cross and headed towards a small Ford. They managed to fit Nephele's trunk in the boot and there was enough room across the back for the three children and Cinza's cage sat in the passenger seat beside Sharron. They managed to get out of London fairly quickly and after almost half an hour driving through countryside, they turned into a gravel driveway that led to the Fitzroy household. Their house was a three storey building with about seven chimneys clumped together on the roof. There was a set of stone steps leading up to the large, wooden front doors. The garden was amazing. There were so many different plants that Nephele had never seen in her life and they were scattered all over the place. Sharron helped her to get her trunk out of the boot and into the house. The inside was just as intriguing as the garden. There were dishes washing themselves in the sink and a broom quickly sweeping the floor. As Nephele stared, open-mouthed at everything her cousins came over to stand beside her.  
>"Like it?" the asked at the same time.<br>"It's amazing!" Nephele gasped, making the two of them blush.  
>They helped her to take her trunk up to Izzy's room.<br>"You don't mind sharing do you?" Izzy asked as she dragged Nephele's trunk across the floor.  
>"Course not." Nephele assured her, smiling.<br>Izzy grinned back, "Come on, we'd better go downstairs. I think mum'll want us to show you around."


	9. Chapter 9: Christmas

**Hey guys! I just wanted to say thank you to _theunbrokenlovatic _for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter! Also, please review and tell me what you think. **

Nephele quickly got into the rhythm of life with the Fitzroys. Nearly every day they took out some of their broomsticks and threw balls to each other in a neighbouring field, taking turns on the best broomstick. Nephele also wrote many letters to Draco and received many in return. She was shocked at some of the things he wrote. He seemed to be more open in writing then he was when they talked face to face. Nephele's suspicions that Draco's father beat him was confirmed in one of these letters but her worry lessened when Draco explained that his mother had convinced his father to stay away from him over the Christmas holidays.  
>As Christmas day drew closer Nephele's thoughts turned to what she would get Draco. She eventually decided to make him something herself. She carved out a little wooden box about eleven inches long and four and half inches wide. She then asked Sharron to cast a spell over it so that only the owner and the maker could open it. Nephele then carved <em>Draco Malfoy<em>into the lid and filled the box with Chocolate Frogs.

_Dear Draco,  
>This box is spelled so that only the owner and the maker can open it. I carved it with only Muggle tools so I am the maker. I then carved your name into the lid so the box recognises you as its owner. I hope this helps in keeping things from your father or anyone else.<br>I hope you enjoy the Frogs.  
>Lots of love,<br>Nephele_

Nephele smiled and attached the letter to box and wrapped it up. She then hurriedly scrawled Draco's name onto the paper and put the parcel beside her bed before heading downstairs for Christmas Eve dinner.  
>They talked and talked into the night before Sharron sent them to bed after a quick hot chocolate. Nephele and Izzy wished Joe goodnight before continuing to their bedroom. Nephele quickly called Cinza over and tied Draco's present to her leg.<br>"Fly safe, Cinza." Nephele murmured before opening the window and watching the owl fly away.  
>Nephele and Izzy talked for a few minutes but they soon fell asleep.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning Nephele was woken by Izzy.<br>"Merry Christmas, Neph!" she called, chucking a present onto the pile at Nephele's feet.  
>"Merry Christmas, Izzy!" Nephele grinned back and then turned to her presents. She opened Izzy's first and grinned at the Wizard's Chess set. "Thanks,"<br>Izzy grinned back, "Now I can teach you how to play!"  
>Nephele giggled slightly before grabbing a present from Sharron. Inside was a box of homemade fudge and a new dark green and silver jumper. There was also a box of Fizzing Whizbee's from Joe. Her father had given Nephele a Muggle journal made from black leather. After she had slipped the jumper over her pyjamas and placed her other presents next to her bed there was a tapping on the window. Nephele walked over and let Cinza fly in. She dropped another present on Nephele's bed and hooted softly.<br>"Thanks, Cinza." Nephele muttered before sitting on her bed to open the parcel. Inside was a plain, wooden box and a note from Draco.

_Dear Nephele, _

_Thank you so much for the present, it is just what I needed. I hope that you are having a good holiday with your Aunt and cousins. Luckily my mother has been able to hold my father off so I have had an enjoyable time.  
>There are instructions for your present inside the box,<br>Love  
>Draco. <em>

Nephele smiled at the letter and then opened the box. Inside was another piece of parchment and a bracelet. The bracelet was a green and silver cobra that would curl around her forearm. Its hood was flared, its head slightly raised and its fangs visible. It was half an inch in diameter and would have been about a foot in length if it had been stretched out. Nephele smiled and slipped the bracelet over her right hand. The cobra tightened to fit her arm perfectly and Nephele then read the note.

_Nephele, _

_You have probably already put the bracelet on and watched as it shrunk to fit your arm (you will be able to take it off again, don't worry). This isn't just any bracelet. If you tap it with your wand the cobra will awaken. It should bite your middle finger on the arm that you placed it (don't worry, this is just so you won't have to use your wand to awaken it again). Then the cobra will transform at your will and be under your control.  
>I hope you like it,<br>Draco_

Nephele, intrigued, got out her wand and tapped the cobra. She waited a few seconds before the snake moved across her arm. It was still a mixture of green and silver in colour but its eyes were now alive. It slithered up her arm and curled around her right middle finger. It opened its mouth and sank both fangs into Nephele's flesh.  
>"Ow!" she cried.<br>The snake licked her wound with its tongue and curled back into its original position. It then returned to being a metal carving. Nephele examined her finger and, to her surprise, found no evidence of the snakebite. She shrugged and then went downstairs for breakfast. She wished Sharron and Joe a Merry Christmas and thanked them for the presents.  
>After breakfast Nephele and her two cousins had a massive snowball fight in the backyard. They came back completely drenched and exhausted. They changed quickly, had some lunch and then Izzy started to teach Nephele how to play Wizard's Chess. By the end of the afternoon Nephele had managed to beat Izzy in one game. They then packed up the chess sets and set the table for Christmas dinner.<p>

* * *

><p>Sharron had cooked a magnificent feast. There was a massive roast turkey with roasted and boiled potatoes, a platter of chipolatas, a silver boat of thick gravy and cranberry sauce – and a wizard cracker for each of them. These crackers were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones. Nephele pulled a wizard cracker with Joe and there wasn't just a bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon, engulfing them in a cloud of blue smoke. From the inside exploded a bottle green witch's hat, which Nephele jammed onto her head, and a box of owl treats. Nephele grinned at the joke told by Izzy and then they started to eat. A flaming Christmas pudding followed the turkey and Joe nearly broke his tooth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice.<br>"We're going to try and visit your dad tomorrow, Neph." Sharron said, pouring everyone a glass of eggnog.  
>Nephele nodded her thanks.<br>As she was lying in bed, Nephele absentmindedly played with her bracelet, watching as the cobra coiled around and around her arm. She eventually let it return to its metal state before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning Nephele, Izzy, Joe and Sharron drove into London. Nephele started to get a bit nervous as they walked into the hospital.<br>"We're here to see Tobias Mithra." Sharron told the receptionist, who checked her computer before replying.  
>"Ward fourteen, floor two"<br>Sharron smiled, "Thanks."  
>They made their way up the stairs, not wanting to wait for the lifts, and eventually they found ward fourteen. Nephele was the first through the door and she hurried to her father's side.<br>"Nephele, my darlin'… How are you?" he croaked,  
>"I'm good dad, how are you?" Nephele sat down beside him.<br>"Haven't changed." Her father smiled, "Merry Christmas, Sweetheart."

Nephele smiled, "Merry Christmas, dad."

"Have you had a good time at school?"  
>Nephele grinned, "Yes, dad. I love it there. I've even made a friend."<br>"Only one?" her father joked,  
>Nephele grinned, "Yes, dad. His name's Draco Malfoy."<br>Her father's eye's widened at this. "Ooh, a _boy_?"  
>Nephele sighed. "Da-ad!" she groaned, "We're just <em>friends<em>!"  
>This made her father chuckle, "I'm only pullin' your leg." At this he was interrupted by a bout of coughing. "I'm fine." He rasped at Nephele's worried expression, "Really." He then frowned at her, "Who are you staying with?"<br>Nephele beckoned her aunt and cousins over, "You remember Aunt Sharron…?"  
>Her father nodded once, "At least you're with family."<br>"Hello, Tobias." Sharron said softly.  
>"Hello, Sharron." Tobias coughed. "And there's Isobel and Joseph too." He grinned.<br>"Hello, Uncle Tobias." They chorused.  
>"Merry Christmas to you all." Her father cried but he then collapsed into a coughing fit again.<br>"Merry Christmas, Tobias," Sharron said worriedly.  
>Nephele handed her dad his present, "Thanks for the journal."<br>Tobias opened his present, "You're welcome – ooh look at this – a new book! Thanks, Neph!"  
>"You're welcome, dad." Nephele laughed.<br>Nephele talked with her dad for a long time but soon the nurses shooed her away, saying that her father needed his rest.  
>Nephele promised to come and visit when she could and then left the hospital.<p>

* * *

><p>The rest of the Christmas holidays passed in a blur. Nephele visited her father quite a few times before it was time to return to platform nine and three quarters. Both Izzy and Joe were home-schooled by Sharron so they only saw Nephele onto the train. She loaded her trunk into the luggage compartment, allowing Cinza to climb onto her shoulder, and then went in search of Draco. She soon spotted him by an empty compartment.<br>"Draco!" she called.  
>He waved her over, "Neph, how are you?"<br>"I'm good. You?" Nephele grinned.  
>Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "It was okay."<br>Nephele sighed, exasperated. "Thanks, for the cobra." She grinned again, holding out her right arm.  
>"Did it work?" Draco asked eagerly, climbing onto the train.<br>Nephele followed him and sat down. She held out her arm again and the cobra sparked into life. It coiled around her arm and she leant forward so it could slither onto Draco. He grinned at the sight of the cobra winding along his own arm.  
>"Brilliant!" he breathed, handing the cobra back to Nephele and watched as it froze in its place around her right arm.<br>"Isn't it?" Nephele grinned. "Did the box work?"  
>Draco smiled, "Yes it did. Thank you."<br>"You're welcome," Nephele said softly.  
>The train passed quickly through the countryside, making its way north. They arrived at Hogwarts about mid-afternoon and they quickly made their way through the Entrance Hall. Both Nephele and Draco made their way to the Slytherin common room and gave quick greetings to the rest of the Slytherin first years. There was a large conversation in which everyone told stories about their holidays. All the Slytherins crowded around to see Nephele's cobra and she gladly showed off, letting it coil around her arm.<br>Even during dinner was Nephele's cobra the centre of attention. Even people from the other houses wandered over to see what all the fuss was about. Nephele, grinning, twisted her arm so that the metal caught the candle light and sparkled.  
>Draco glanced over to the Gryffindor table and smirked at Potter and Weasley's envious expressions.<br>"Jealousy doesn't suit them." Nephele muttered to Draco, noticing who he was smirking at.  
>"No it doesn't, does it?" Draco smirked again and then turned back to his food.<br>After dinner had finished, Nephele and Draco made their way back to the Slytherin common room. There were still Slytherins crowding to see the cobra and it was a while before she managed to shake them off.  
>"No, seriously – I really need some sleep – term starts tomorrow – yes, yes thank you – no, really, I need some sleep!" Nephele caught Draco's amused expression and glared for a moment before grinning at him. "Great gift you got me." She said sarcastically,<br>"It should die down by tomorrow," Draco assured her, "Anyway – we should both get some sleep."  
>Nephele nodded, "Yeah – night, Draco."<br>"Goodnight, Neph." Draco replied softly before they both went to their separate dormitories.  
>Nephele lay awake for a while, absentmindedly fiddling with her cobra until she finally drifted into her dreams.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: Argentum

**A/N: Just note that Argentum is pronounced _are-jent-um_. Hope you guys like the chapter and please review!**

The next morning Nephele rose early and wandered down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She met Draco afterwards and they quickly made their way to their first class.  
>That afternoon Draco and Nephele were outside the Library when they ran into Longbottom.<br>"Oh, wonderful," Draco grinned evilly. "I've been looking for someone to practise on." He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Longbottom's legs. "_Locomotor Mortis!_" he cried and Longbottom's legs snapped together in a Leg-Locker Curse. Nephele and Draco walked away laughing.  
>The first week of term passed quickly and everyone was looking forward to the upcoming Quidditch match, Gryffindor against Hufflepuff. Nephele, Draco and the rest of the Slytherins were very anxious about this game, if Gryffindor won then they would overtake Slytherin in the house cup for the first time in seven years.<br>As the match approached the news that Professor Snape was going to referee spread throughout the school. The Slytherins were very happy about this as there was a higher chance of Gryffindor losing the match with the Head of Slytherin refereeing.  
>As the morning of the Quidditch match dawned Nephele and Draco quickly ate breakfast and made their way to the stands, Crabbe and Goyle close behind. The entire school was crammed into the stands, even Dumbledore was there. This didn't bode well with the Slytherins. If Dumbledore was watching then it was going to be harder for Professor Snape to favour the Hufflepuffs. Just as the players flew into the air Draco and Nephele sat down behind Weasley, Granger and Longbottom.<br>Draco poked Weasley in the back of the head, "Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." He grinned at Nephele. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want to bet? What about you, Weasley?"  
>Weasley didn't respond as Professor Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because one of the Weasley twins had hit a Bludger at him, causing Nephele to high-five Draco. Granger, who had her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting at Potter, who was circling above the game like a hawk.<br>"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Draco asked loudly after Professor Snape had awarded Hufflepuff a penalty for no reason whatsoever. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Longbottom went bright red and spun around in his seat to face Draco.  
>"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.<br>Nephele, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle howled with laughter, but Weasley, still with his eyes on the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."  
>"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."<p>

"I'm warning you, Malfoy – one more word –"  
>"Ron!" Granger said suddenly, "Harry –!"<br>"What? Where?"  
>Potter had suddenly gone into a dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd.<br>"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Draco jeered.  
>Weasley snapped. Before Draco knew what was happening Weasley had jumped on top of him and wrestled him to the ground. Nephele leapt to her feet and tried to drag him off Draco just as Longbottom threw himself at Crabbe and Goyle.<br>"Come on, Harry!" Granger squealed as Weasley managed to drag Draco under the seats.  
>Nephele had just managed to pull Weasley off Draco as the stand erupted in cheers, Potter had caught the Snitch. The Slytherins groaned and Professor Snape spat on the ground in disgust as the Gryffindors piled into the pitch.<br>Nephele grabbed Draco's arm and dragged him to the hospital wing to treat is black eye. When they got there Longbottom was out cold in a bed. Madame Pomfrey bustled over angrily.  
>"Honestly! Fighting during a Quidditch match!" she waved her wand and Draco's eye returned to its normal size and colour. "They should do something about this!"<br>"Thanks" Draco muttered before Nephele pulled him out of the hospital wing.  
>They walked down the corridors, towards their common room when they bumped into Potter.<br>"Oh, it's _you_," he frowned,  
>"Come to gloat?" Nephele scowled.<br>"Unlike you, the rest of us don't need shiny bracelets to make friends, Mithra." Potter sneered.  
>Draco tensed beside Nephele, his fists clenching. He would have punched Potter in the face if Nephele hadn't gotten there first. She stretched out her right arm, palm up and pointed it at Potter. Her cobra sprang to life, slithered down her arm and threw itself at him and wrapped itself around his neck pressing its fangs to Potter's windpipe.<br>"Be careful about who you insult, Potter!" Nephele snarled. She then snapped her fingers and the cobra returned to her arm. Draco and Nephele stalked away, leaving a very shocked Potter behind them.  
>"That was brilliant, Neph!" Draco breathed.<br>Nephele grinned.  
>"Miss Mithra?" the familiar voice of Professor Snape emerged from the shadows.<br>"Prof – Professor Snape?" Nephele's voice shook.  
>"Don't worry, Miss Mithra, you're not in trouble." Professor Snape assured her. "I just want a word in my office."<br>"Of course, sir." Nephele glanced at Draco before following Professor Snape into the dungeons. He led her into his office and told her to sit down.  
>"Now, I should give you a detention for this, Miss Mithra, but – may I examine your bracelet?" he asked suddenly. Nephele, surprised, handed it over wordlessly. "Interesting…" Professor Snape muttered, twirling the cobra around his fingers. "May I see it when it's alive?"<br>Nephele nodded and then the bracelet was a cobra.  
>"It's <em>actually<em> genuine!" Professor Snape exclaimed, scanning his eyes over the cobra.  
>"Um, sir?" Nephele asked, "What are you talking about?"<br>Snape held the bracelet up to Nephele, "Do you know what this is?"  
>Nephele frowned, "It's a bracelet that can turn into a cobra."<br>Snape nodded, "Yes but it is more than that. There are items like this all over the Wizarding world but the snake just coils around the owners arm or it's a tattoo that moves across the body. This, well, this is something." Snape looked at the bracelet in his hands, amazed. "Did it bite you? When you first activated it?"  
>Nephele nodded.<br>"And did it heal the wound?"  
>Nephele nodded again, "Yes, sir."<br>Snape sat back in his chair and the corners of his mouth tilted upward. "Brilliant! Where did you get this?" he asked.  
>"Um – Draco gave it to me for Christmas." Nephele said getting more confused by the minute.<br>"I wonder where he got it – never mind. This is a very special bracelet and extremely rare. It is controlled by your will, most of the ones on offer have to be tapped by a wand, and it can leave your body. It also can change its size and it had imprinted you so it will always find its way back and its saliva, well, its saliva has healing properties. Not as strong as a Phoenix's but it can heal most wounds. Now, as I was saying, I should have given you a detention but as this is so rare, there are no school rules against it."  
>Nephele stared at Professor Snape in shock. "What?"<br>"Haven't you been listening, Mithra? You take _very_ good care of this. And, as _he_ an actual snake, you may want to name him."  
>Nephele nodded, "Argentum," she muttered suddenly, "His name's Argentum."<br>Professor Snape looked at her for a moment, "Appropriate." He said before turning to a smoking cauldron on his desk. "You may go, Miss Mithra."  
>Nephele smiled and walked out of his office. She nearly sprinted to the Slytherin common room but she managed to contain her excitement. Draco immediately questioned her as she joined him by the fire. Nephele, still grinning, told him what Professor Snape had told her.<br>"Wicked!" he breathed after Nephele had finished speaking.  
>"Isn't it?" Nephele could hardly believe it herself. Argentum had been slithering around Nephele's arms as she told the story but now he was back in his bracelet form on Nephele's right arm.<br>"I never thought that it would be something like that." Draco continued, "I ordered it by owl and I guess no one knew what she really was…" Draco looked stunned.  
>Nephele grinned, "Well, it doesn't matter what you thought he was, he is what he is and that's all that matters."<br>Draco sighed, "You're starting to confuse me, Neph."  
>Nephele laughed, "Well, we'd better start our homework before you get too confused."<br>Draco laughed, "I guess so."  
>They both pulled out their books and quills and began to work. Eventually the common room became too noisy to concentrate as most of the Slytherins had heard about what Nephele had done to Potter and had come over to congratulate her.<br>"Great work!" quite a few of them yelled.  
>"You showed him!"<br>Nephele and Draco quickly abandoned their homework when someone managed to steal food from the kitchens.  
>"You know," the nice prefect said loudly, "Nephele Mithra has earned more house points than I can remember!" the common room erupted in cheers at this. "We are going to beat Gryffindor and win the house cup for the seventh year running!" more cheers followed this and the party escalated.<br>Nephele and Draco acted out the scene between Potter and Nephele for the rest of the Slytherins, Draco acting the part of Potter, making them howl with laughter.  
>The party soon ended and the Slytherins made their way up to the Great Hall for dinner. Nephele passed Potter and scowled at him, flashing her bracelet his way as a warning. She sat down at the Slytherin table and started talking to Draco. As they left the hall Nephele smirked at Potter and his friends before heading back to the common room. Draco and Nephele dragged out their abandoned homework and continued to work.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11: Detention in the Forest

**A/N: Hey guys! Second last chapter! Hope you like it! Please review!**

The weeks passed and Nephele and Draco managed to get through all their homework. Nephele had even started to draw up revision time-tables and colour-coding her notes and nagging Draco to do the same.  
>"Neph, the exams are ages away."<br>"Ten weeks," Nephele retorted. "That's not ages."  
>Draco sighed, "Yes it is but what are you revising for, you already know it all."<br>Nephele glanced up at him, shocked. "What am I revising for? Are you mad? You realise that we need to pass these exams to get into second year? I should've started months ago…"  
>The teachers seemed to agree with Nephele and piled so much homework on them that the Easter Holidays weren't nearly as much fun as Christmas had been. Draco and Nephele spent most of their time in the library trying to get through all the extra work. As the weather improved Nephele and Draco resented all the time they had to spend indoors.<br>One morning, after breakfast Draco heard part of an interesting conversation between Potter, Weasley and Granger.  
>"Hermione, how many times are we going to see a dragon hatching?"<br>"We've got lessons, we'll get in trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing –"  
>"Shut up!" Potter warned them but Draco had heard enough. During the morning break he made his way down to the grounds and followed Potter and his friends from a distance. They made their way to Hagrid's hut and were let in. Draco sneaked to the window and peered through the curtains. There was an egg lying on the table with deep cracks running through it. Potter, Weasley and Granger drew up chairs around it and watched excitedly as the egg split open and a baby dragon flopped out onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; it looked like a crumpled black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.<br>It sneezed and a couple of sparks flew out of its nose.  
>"Isn't he <em>beautiful<em>?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a giant hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.  
>"Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" the gamekeeper said.<p>

"Hagrid," Granger asked, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"  
>Hagrid was about to answer when he spotted Draco. Draco turned from the window and sprinted back up to the school just as the gamekeeper leapt to his feet.<br>Draco was very pleased over the next week and he could see that this made the three Gryffindors very nervous.  
>"Seriously, he's trying to raise a <em>dragon<em>?" Nephele had exclaimed after Draco had told her his story.  
>"Yes." Draco replied, "I saw it with my own eyes."<br>Later that week Weasley had managed to get himself bitten by the dragon and he had gone to the hospital wing. Nephele and Draco sauntered up to see him, telling Madame Pomfrey that they wanted to borrow one of his books so they could have a good laugh.  
>"I could tell her, you know." Draco said, "What <em>really <em>bit you."  
>They continued taunting Weasley until Madame Pomfrey shooed them out of the hospital wing. They flicked through Weasley's book as they walked through the corridors but they grinned when they found a letter. They put their heads together and read it.<p>

_Dear Ron,  
>How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.<br>Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.  
>Send me an answer as soon as possible.<br>Love,  
>Charlie<em>

Draco grinned at Nephele but she looked sceptical. "Draco, we can't be out of bed after dark! Imagine if we were caught!"  
>Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine! If you won't, I will." He then walked off. Nephele sighed, if he was caught he couldn't blame her.<p>

* * *

><p>Saturday night arrived and Draco waited until it was nearly midnight. It was a very dark and cloudy night and Draco made his way to the corridor below the tallest tower. But, before he could say anything, Professor McGonagall appeared out of the shadows in a tartan dressing-gown and a hair-net.<br>"And what do you think you're doing?" she grabbed him by the ear. "Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how _dare_ you –"  
>"You don't understand, Professor, Harry Potter's coming – he's got a dragon!" Draco argued feebly.<br>"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on – I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"  
>Draco was herded into Professor McGonagall's study and told to wait as she was called off somewhere else. After a few minutes Potter and Granger were pushed through the door by Filtch, much to Draco's delight, and told to sit down. Professor McGonagall walked through the door with Longbottom in tow.<br>"Harry!" Longbottom burst out. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag –"  
>Potter shook his head to try and stop Longbottom but Professor McGonagall had seen.<br>"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filtch says you were up the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. _Explain yourselves_!"  
>It was the first time Granger had failed to answer a teacher's question.<br>"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on. It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock and bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him." Professor McGonagall indicated to Draco. "I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"  
>Draco smirked as Potter tried to tell Longbottom that it wasn't the case.<br>"I'm disgusted," Professor McGonagall continued, "Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will be receiving detentions – yes, you too Mr Longbottom, _nothing_ gives you the right to walk around the school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous – and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."  
>Draco smirked, only <em>twenty<em> points had been taken from him.  
>"<em>Fifty<em>?" Potter gasped, making Draco smirk even more. They would lose their lead, the lead Potter had won in the last Quidditch match.  
>"Fifty points <em>each<em>," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily.  
>"Professor – please –"<br>"You _can't _–"  
>"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students. You too, Mr Malfoy." She added, closing the door behind them.<br>"Thanks Potter." Draco whispered, "I owe you one!" he then walked back to his common room grinning.

* * *

><p>At first, the Gryffindors passing the giant hourglass that recorded the house points the next day though there had been a mistake. How could they suddenly have one hundred and fifty points fewer that yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.<br>From being one of the most popular and admired people in the school, Potter had suddenly become the most hated. Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Nephele noticed that everywhere Potter went, people insulted him loudly. The Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"  
>Nephele joined in with the Slytherin celebrations, even winking at Potter as she walked past him. Draco had told Nephele everything the next morning and she had laughed gleefully at the sight of the marginally empty Gryffindor hourglass.<p>

* * *

><p>About a week before the exams were due to start Draco received a note during breakfast.<p>

_Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight._

_Meet Mr Filtch in the entrance hall._

_Prof. M. McGonagall_

Nephele gave Draco a sympathetic glance. "At least Potter, Granger and Longbottom have to do detention too." She said in the common room that evening.  
>"I guess so." Draco replied glumly. He glanced at the clock, "I'd better go. Don't want to be late."<br>Nephele smiled encouragingly. "Good luck."

Draco walked out of the common room and stepped into the entrance hall. Filtch was already there and they waited for a few minutes until Potter, Granger and Longbottom walked down the steps.  
>"Follow me," said Filtch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes … hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me … It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out … hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well-oiled in case they're ever needed … Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."<br>They marched off across the dark grounds and Draco wondered what their punishment would be. It must be something really horrible, or Filtch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.  
>The moon was bright, but clouds sweeping across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Draco could see the lighted windows of the gamekeeper's hut and then they heard a distant shout.<br>"Is that you, Filtch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."  
>Potter looked hopeful but Filtch spoke again. "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy – it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."<br>Longbottom let out a little moan and Draco stopped dead in his tracks.  
>"The forest?" he asked, fear coursing through his body. "We can't go in there at night – there's all sorts of things in there – werewolves, I heard."<p>

Filtch sneered gleefully, "That's your lookout, isn't it? Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"  
>Hagrid came striding towards them out of the dark, his boarhound at his heels. He was carrying crossbow in his hands and had a quiver of arrows over his shoulder.<br>"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"  
>"I shouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid," said Filtch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."<p>

"That's why yer late, is it?" Hagrid said, frowning at Filtch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."  
>"I'll be back at dawn," Filtch replied, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back towards the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.<br>Draco turned to Hagrid.  
>"I'm not going into that forest." He said, cursing the note of panic in his voice.<br>"Yeh are if yeh want to stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."  
>"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd –"<br>"– tell yer that's how it's done at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Writin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"  
>Draco stood his ground, glaring at Hagrid but he soon dropped his gaze.<br>"Right then," Hagrid said, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."  
>He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.<br>"Look there," Hagrid said, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."  
>Draco glanced around worriedly, "And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" he asked, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.<br>"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang." Hagrid said. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."  
>Draco glanced at Fang's long teeth, "I want Fang," he said quickly.<br>"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practise now – that's it – an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh – so, be careful – let's go."

* * *

><p>The forest was black and silent. A little way into they reached a fork in the path and Draco, Fang and Longbottom took the right path while the others took the left. They walked in silence, Draco in the lead with Fang on his heels. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.<br>They had been walking for what seemed like hours when they came to a clearing. There was blood spattered all over the place, gleaming through the darkness. Longbottom walked in front of Draco and he was peering around nervously. Draco turned to face the other way and backed towards the centre of the clearing, his wand raised. Draco's foot caught on a tree root and he spun around, grabbing for anything to keep him upright. His flailing arms found Longbottom's shoulders but Draco had caught Longbottom by surprise. Longbottom let out a little squeak before sending red sparks into the night sky. Draco scowled, now he was going to get the blame.  
>In a few minutes Hagrid came crashing through the undergrowth, his crossbow raised.<br>"It-it's alright, Hagrid." Longbottom stammered. "It was Malfoy, he snuck up behind me and grabbed me."  
>Hagrid looked furious and turned deaf to Draco's protests.<br>"Follow me." He grunted before disappearing into the forest. Draco, Fang and Longbottom followed him wordlessly.

They walked for a few minutes before Potter and Granger came into view. After Longbottom had told them both what he thought had happened Hagrid spoke again.  
>"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups – Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot."<br>Draco scowled as Hagrid whispered something to Potter before they set off into the heart of the forest. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest until the track became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Draco noticed that the blood was getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Draco could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.  
>"Look –" Potter murmured, holding out his arm to stop Draco.<br>Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.

It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Draco had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long slender legs were stuck out at odd angles were it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.  
>Potter had taken a step forward when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered … then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Draco, Fang and Potter stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, it lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.<br>"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Draco screamed and then bolted, Fang close behind him. They darted through the forest, Draco allowing Fang to lead the way, and they soon came upon the figures of Hagrid, Granger and Longbottom. Draco told them, between gasps, what had happened and they started sprinting down the path towards the clearing. After a few minutes they saw Potter riding a centaur.  
>"Harry, Harry, are you all right?" Granger ran towards him with Hagrid close behind.<br>"I'm fine," Potter said. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in the clearing back there."  
>"This is where I leave you," the centaur murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You're safe now."<br>Potter slid off its back.  
>"Good luck, Harry Potter," the centaur continued. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."<br>The centaur turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Hagrid to take them back to the castle.


	12. Chapter 12: Slytherin's Defeat

**A/N: Here it is! The last chapter! I hope you have enjoyed the story! Thank you all for your reviews and such :) As you can probably tell from the title this isn't the only book im interested in writing. I've actually got ideas for all 7 books... If anyone is interested in reading the rest please review and tell me, if no one does then there's no point in me posting them up on FFN...**

Nephele was in the common room finishing off some homework when Draco returned but she immediately put her quill down as he sat beside her. Draco began to tell her all that had occurred in the forest. Nephele remained silent until Draco mentioned the hooded figure drinking the unicorn blood. She gasped loudly and her hands flew to her mouth.  
>"But why would someone want to drink unicorn's blood?" she asked,<br>"I dunno, doesn't it bring you back to life?" Draco frowned.  
>Nephele shook her head, "Not really. Only someone who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime as slaying a unicorn. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips –" she trailed off thoughtfully.<br>"But who would want to live like that? I mean, wouldn't it be better to die rather than live cursed forever?" Draco speculated.  
>"Unless –" Nephele gazed at Draco thoughtfully.<br>"Unless – what?" Draco asked.  
>"Unless you were waiting for something else," Nephele said.<br>"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco scoffed, "Nothing can restore the dead."  
>Nephele nodded, "Yes, but they <em>aren't<em> dead, are they?"  
>Draco looked at her, "No –"<br>Nephele sighed and packed away her homework. "I'm too tired for this, I'm going to bed. Night, Draco." She made her way to the girls' dormitories.  
>"Night, Neph." Draco replied before he, himself, went to bed.<p>

* * *

><p>In the years to come Nephele would never quite remember how she made it through her exams. It was swelteringly hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.<br>They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuff-box – points were given for how pretty the snuff-box was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Professor Snape made nearly everyone nervous by breathing down their necks as they attempted to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.  
>Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole week until the their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Nephele and Draco cheered loudly with the rest.<br>Draco and Nephele joined the crowds flocking out into the sunny grounds and headed towards the lake. They found their favourite tree unoccupied and they quickly clambered up, into the branches. They sat there talking amiably and munching on some apples.  
>"I can't believe it! No more revision!" Draco sighed happily.<br>"I know!" Nephele leant back into the trunk of the tree. "It's brilliant! It's also a great birthday present for you"  
>Draco grinned, "Isn't it? And thanks, for the present." He fondled the serpentine ring around his finger.<br>"Don't mention it." Nephele waved her hand.  
>They glanced over and saw the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan tickling the tentacles of a giant squid and laughed.<br>"I'm going to miss this place over summer." Draco said softly.  
>"We all will, Draco." Nephele said as she placed a comforting hand on Draco's arm. "Hogwarts is a hard place to leave."<br>Draco smiled, "That it is."

* * *

><p>They stayed in the tree all afternoon until the setting sun sent them back inside. They dropped their bags off in the Slytherin common room before walking into the Great Hall for dinner. Both Draco and Nephele went to bed pretty early after dinner as they were both exhausted from the end of exams.<br>In the next three days the news of Potters second triumph against the Dark Lord circulated the school. There were people sending all sorts of things to the hospital wing where Potter lay unconscious, Nephele even heard Madame Pomfrey complaining about the Weasley twins trying to send him a Hogwarts toilet seat. Nephele and Draco were distracted by other matters as Gryffindor had been steamrolled by Ravenclaw in the latest Quidditch match, leaving Slytherin in the lead for the house cup.  
>As Nephele and Draco walked into the Great Hall for the end-of-year feast they grinned at the decorations of green and silver and at the huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table. Draco and Nephele sat down and started talking amiably with their fellow Slytherins.<br>There was a sudden hush as Potter walked through the doors and then everybody started talking loudly at once. Nephele watched him sit down at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the people standing up to look at him.  
>Dumbledore arrived moments later and the babble died away instantly.<br>"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into a delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were … you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts …  
>Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."<br>A storm of cheering broke out of the Slytherin table. Draco banged his goblet on the table and Nephele cheered loudly. She wanted to throw her arms around Draco but she held herself back, she knew he wasn't one for physical contact.  
>"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."<br>The room went very still and the Slytherins' smiles faded a little.  
>"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes …<p>

First – to Mr Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points!"  
>The cheers from the Gryffindor table nearly lifted the bewitched ceiling and Nephele could see an older relation to Weasley boasting to some prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"<p>

At last there was silence again.  
>"Second – to Miss Hermione Granger … for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."<br>The Gryffindors were beside themselves, they were up a hundred points.  
>"Third – to Mr Harry Potter …" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quite. "… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."<p>

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points – exactly the same as Slytherin. They had drawn for the house cup – if only Dumbledore had given them one less point.  
>Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.<br>"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."  
>Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought that some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table.<br>Draco and Nephele looked at each other, their faces the mirror of the others, looking stunned and horrified.  
>"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."<br>He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were shaking hands, with a horrible forced smile on Professor Snape's face.  
>The food appeared on the golden plates and Nephele and Draco dug in.<br>"Not much of a birthday present for _you_, Neph." Draco said.  
>"Mmm…" she murmured in agreement. "My present from you was much better." She grinned. Draco had given her an ordinary bag but it was bigger on the inside, much like the one she had purchased in Diagon Alley but this spell wouldn't wear off.<br>Apart from Slytherins defeat the feast was magnificent and they enjoyed it thoroughly.

Nephele had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but they did. To his great surprise, Draco passed with excellent marks and Nephele, of course, topped the year with Granger. Even Goyle managed to pass the year. Nephele and Draco had hoped that Weasley or Potter might be thrown out but they passed too. It was a shame but as Draco said, you can't have everything in life.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty and their trunks were packed. Notes were handed out to students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays. Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake and then they were boarding the Hogwarts Express, talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier and eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans as they sped past Muggle towns. They pulled off their wizard robes and put on jackets and coats as they pulled into platform nine and three quarters at King's Cross Station.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.  
>"You have to come and stay this summer, Draco." Nephele said, "I'll write you an owl."<br>"Thanks." Draco replied, "Though, I'm not sure if my father will let me."  
>Nephele sighed sympathetically. "If you can't then I'll see you in Diagon Alley."<br>"Yeah." Draco nodded as he spotted his mother waiting for him. "Goodbye, Neph. Have a good summer and keep in touch!"  
>Nephele waved, "Bye, Draco and I will" she then turned and saw her aunt, Izzy and Joe waiting for her.<br>Sharron came up and hugged her quickly, "There's been no change in your father."  
>Nephele just nodded, not trusting herself to speak and they walked out of King's Cross Station together.<p> 


End file.
